(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to multitrack magnetic heads and to their methods of manufacture, and in particular to a multitrack magnetic head of the type in which the discrete cores thereof--and magnetic shields between the cores--are contained within a bracket or similar structure. The method for making a multitrack head according to the invention allows for a high density of cores across the widthwise dimension of the head and, as a result of such inventive method, the resulting head structure embraces a number of novel, distinguishing, and desirable characteristics.
(2) Description Relative to the Prior Art
Before addressing the relevant prior art, it is considered appropriate to address first what is clearly not the art over which the present invention provides an improved manufacturing method and multitrack head structure: The invention has nothing to do with multitrack heads of the type in which head structures are formed by vapor deposition (or the like) with, or without, the use of photofabrication procedures. Rather, the art over which the invention provides improvement relates to relatively conventional multitrack magnetic heads in which discrete cores and magnetic shields are preformed and then housed within an enclosing and/or supporting bracket.
Although there are many and varied multitrack heads, and manufacturing methods, over which the invention provides improvement, detailed reference is made to only one such prior art head and method, thereby to identify a particular problem solved by means of the invention. The prior art multitrack head in question is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,042, issued Apr. 30, 1974 to Honeywell Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Referring therefore to U.S. Pat. No. '042, and in particular to FIGS. 8-11 thereof, it is seen that a supporting block 14 is provided with deep slots 15 and with shallow slots 16. Preformed core pieces 20, which are pre-wound with coils 24, are dropped into the shallow slots 16, and magnetic shields 18, 19 are dropped into the deep slots 15. Thereafter the head of U.S. Pat. No. '042 is completed by procedures which do not involve relevant prior art background for the invention; and thus, no further discussion is had as to those procedures. Careful note, however, should be made that in FIG. 11 of U.S. Pat. No. '042, the core pieces 20, as well as the magnetic shields 18, 19, respectively, extend completely into the bracket slots 16, 15. This sort of design represents the current state of the art.